This invention relates to insulated storage enclosures and more particularly to a method of making a monolithic storage enclosure out of assembled side, ceiling and base members cut from a single slab of polyurethane coated with a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material and the method of making a closure member therefor.
Heretofore, monolithic insulated storage enclosures of the type set forth in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,509 were constructed by securing a skid to a base of polyurethane by a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material and positioning the sides and ceiling members on the base to form the enclosure. A coating layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material was then applied over the inside and outside surfaces of the erected base, side and ceiling members to secure the members to each other to form the enclosure. Application of the coating layer to the inside surfaces of the erected base, side and ceiling members was both difficult due to the limited space available to maneuver spraying equipment, etc., which increased as the overall size of the enclosure decreased, and to the health hazards associated with the equipment operator's difficulties with breathing in a confined space considering the nature of the relatively toxic resinous material which is applied to the surfaces in spray form. The method of constructing the closure member is also disclosed.
The method of the present invention overcomes the aforementioned difficulties of constructing enclosures of polyurethane coated on all surfaces with a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material by forming the base, side and ceiling members as part of a long horizontally-positioned continuous slab of polyurethane. The entrance and other desired openings are formed in the slab, the slab is coated on one side with a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material and the slab is then cut into sections representing the base, side and ceiling members. The side and ceiling members are arranged on the base with the precoated surface of each facing the inside of the formed enclosure. Thus, to essentially complete the enclosure, all that need be done is to apply another coating of the resinous material to the outside surfaces of the side and ceiling members. The present invention also includes the method of constructing the closure member for the enclosure.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a superior method of constructing storage enclosures of the type made of polyurethane covered with a layer of fiberglass reinforced resinous material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of constructing storage enclosures of the subject type wherein all of the inside surfaces are precoated, thus substantially eliminating the necessity of applying coating material while inside the enclosure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of constructing storage enclosures of the subject type wherein door jambs and the like are secured in place by the coating material.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of constructing a closure member for the enclosure.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of constructing storage enclosures of the subject type which result in cost savings due to greater labor efficiency, reduced material waste and healthier working environments.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the foregoing is considered in conjunction with the following brief description of the figures and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.